| If the worrying predictions of climate
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| | companies do not have green alternatives,
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| scientists are correct, London will be
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| | but there are indications that this
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| severely affected if measures are not
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| | situation is changing. Xyron systems
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| taken imminently to address the threat of
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| | present a viable alternative to spray
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| global climate change. Whole swathes of
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| | adhesive. The machines apply a sticky
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| the city could be submerged by 2050 if
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| | layer to materials but do not contaminate
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| forecasted sea-level rises are accurate.
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| | the air or emit the CFCs that destroy the
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| The lush green expanse of Hyde Park could
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| | fragile ozone layer. Many products may
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| more resemble the dry, dusty plains of
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| | not be particularly
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| sub-Saharan Africa. Every individual,
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| | environmentally-friendly, but there are
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| family and organisation needs to play
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| | plenty of initiatives that can be taken
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| their part; including companies whose
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| | to limit waste. Many types of toners can
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| trade is to supply the city's offices
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| | be recycled for instance. Instead of
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| with the products they need to operate.
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| | plastic packaging, reusable cardboard
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| There are clear indications that some of
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| | delivery boxes can be used instead. When
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| London's office suppliers are taking
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| | the customer is finished with them, the
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| their environmental responsibilities
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| | boxes can be returned when the delivery
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| seriously. The changes in attitude are
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| | driver makes the next delivery.
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| partly being led by industry leaders, but
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| | Alongside the office suppliers who are
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| also by their customers who, for a number
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| | making genuine efforts to change their
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| of reasons, expect the trade to help them
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| | businesses to meet these aspirations,
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| achieve their environmental objectives.
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| | there are others that are, perhaps
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| The image-conscious industries of London
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| | cynically, using green language and
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| including advertisers and marketing
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| | hollow gestures to present an image of
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| consultants are keen to show potential
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| | environmental virtue. There are signs
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| clients their green credentials to help
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| | that green window dressing is no longer
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| win business. Charitable organisations
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| | good enough to win the custom of
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| consider their responsibilities to the
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| | environmentally-conscious customers. An
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| environment an integral part of a broader
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| | increasingly well informed customer is
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| moral purpose. Generally speaking, there
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| | emerging who is prepared to challenge the
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| is a growing awareness by London's
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| | claims made by companies in the industry.
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| companies of the connection between their
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| | My employer recently had a customer who
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| activities and the potential consequences
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| | felt our use of plastic packaging to
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| outlined earlier in this article.
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| | deliver her goods contradicted our ethics
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| There is a huge business potential in the
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| | that we so proudly display on our
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| supply of green office products. A swarm
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| | website. All her company's orders are now
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| of online retailers who offer a range of
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| | delivered in the distinctive red reusable
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| everyday products that are green in
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| | delivery boxes. For unscrupulous
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| varying degrees has emerged to capitalise
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| | customers, the shallow claims made by
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| on the demand. These companies are very
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| | some office suppliers are enough to
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| keen to trumpet their virtues, but are
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| | satisfy their green aspirations. The
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| not so willing to acknowledge that their
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| | office suppliers who have a genuine
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| goods tend to be delivered in diesel
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| | interest in reducing their carbon
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| transit vans that spew out carbon
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| | footprint will have to work hard to help
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| emissions to and from their destinations.
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| | inform customers and potential customers
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| In the office supply trade
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| | about what they truly need to do to be
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| product-sourcing and delivery make the
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| | green. At one end of the spectrum, RED
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| largest contribution to a company's
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| | BOX has a customer who spends around 26%
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| carbon footprint. If London's offices
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| | of their stationery budget on green
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| want the goods they buy to be greener,
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| | products, but there are companies of a
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| they need to look beyond what their
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| | similar size and budget who spend as
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| products are made from and examine the
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| | little as 3.6% or lower.
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| broader implications of production and
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| | For many office suppliers, the logical
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| delivery.
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| | conclusion of efforts to become greener
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| More established office suppliers are
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| | is to reach carbon-neutrality and in turn
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| gradually making important changes to
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| | sustainable growth. Almost all human
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| their businesses to address environmental
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| | activity in some way generates a degree
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| concerns. If your company's trade is to
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| | of carbon emissions. In the case of
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| supply office products, van deliveries
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| | office suppliers, the greatest
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| are a necessity, not an option. Companies
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| | carbon-burden is released through the
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| that run their own fleet of vans, such as
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| | sourcing of products. Office product
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| my own employer, are better positioned to
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| | manufacturers are under pressure to
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| reduce their carbon footprint. RED BOX,
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| | produce their goods in countries with low
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| whose large and varied customer base is
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| | labour costs such as China and parts of
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| located within Greater London, once
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| | Eastern Europe to remain competitive.
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| prided itself on the same-day delivery
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| | Unfortunately, the products have to
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| service that it could provide. The
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| | travel a considerable distance to reach
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| company now actively encourages its
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| | their markets in places such as London
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| customers to opt for next-day delivery.
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| | with the emissions that this movement
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| The streamlined delivery schedule reduces
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| | produces trailing behind. Once the
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| the number of split deliveries, but still
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| | products land in places like the UK, they
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| provides the level of service that
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| | must be distributed to distribution
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| demanding London companies expect. It
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| | centres and then onto suppliers,
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| also enables the company to reduce costs
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| | sometimes through wholesalers on the way
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| that can be passed onto the customer in
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| | - these journeys also accumulate carbon.
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| the form of savings.
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| | Addressing the issue of sourcing presents
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| Green alternatives to commonly-bought
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| | the greatest challenge to the industry.
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| products are also being introduced by
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| | Drastic measures to reduce the carbon
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| established office suppliers. Last year,
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| | footprint will not make a company
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| 34% of RED BOX customers bought green
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| | completely carbon-neutral. It's
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| products; now the figure is closer to
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| | inevitable that commercial enterprises
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| 40%. In 2006, the average spend on green
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| | will generate some carbon. Initiatives
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| products was 5.6%. As customers are being
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| | such as carbon-offsetting and
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| made aware of green ranges and in some
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| | carbon-capture schemes can help to
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| cases demanding them, the figure has
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| | compensate for this. In short there is
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| risen to 6.3%. Unfortunately many
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| | plenty still to do.
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| products used mainly by creative
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